Guatemala

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It's an early rise in Copan, Honduras for the shuttle to Antigua, Guatemala. The journey is nothing special but is noted for the peppering of the streets by Pepsi and Coca Cola who seem to be in stiff competition for the poor vendors out here. Unfortunately, the signs are the only vibrant colours along the dusty, barren streets and creates an uneasy relationship between poor indigenous communities and the creeping hand of multinationals.

Guatemala has a very high indigenous Maya population which in itself makes it an extremely interesting destination. However, this has counted for little in the face of intrusions, mostly by the U.S. and U.S. based companies throughout this century. The then president, Guzman, in the 1950s attempted to break up estates and foster high productivity on small farms (huge U.S. companies owned the majority of the land), which seemed a good idea to bring equality to the huge gap between rich and poor. But the U.S. supported the interests of large companies like United Fruit, and in 1954 (in one of the first documented covert CIA operations) the U.S. orchestrated an invasion from Honduras. Guzman was forced to step down and land reform never took place. Violence, oppression and disenfranchisement ensued, fuelling the formation of left wing guerilla groups and formenting discord. During the political violence of the 1970s alone, Amnesty International estimates that 50,000 to 60,000 Guatemalans were killed.

In 1982 a 'scorched earth' policy by the ruling General resulting in the extermination of 400 villages and an estimated 15,000 people, mostly Maya men were tortured and massacred. Overall, it is estimated that the 36 year civil war has resulted in the deaths of 200,000 Guatemalans, a million left homeless and untold thousands 'disappeared'. I would highly recommend the following link for some quite sobering and damning information of U.S. 'influence' in the country: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/US_ThirdWorld/US_Guat.html. I've probably said it before, but the worlds most powerful nation should be severely ashamed of itself for not using it's considerable power in more honourable ways. Perhaps the privileged bully might redeem itself by entertaining the recommendation at: http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Truth_Commissions/Truth_Commission_page.html

We pass through the capital, Guatemala City, where the impact of American driven shops and fast food outlets are fully evident along busy streets dominated huge signs. Arriving into Antigua is a welcome relief - one of the best, if not the best, colonial town thus far. It seems to have achieved a good balance between preserving the colonial architecture through tourism related uses whilst not allowing it be dominated by them. Locals are still prevalent in the town who appear to be leading their everyday lives thereby retaining an authenticity to the town.

Antigua is a great place to wander its cobbled streets and admire the architecture. Not all of it is preserved as shown through one particular striking building destroyed by the 1773 earthquake; the Iglesia de la Recoleccion. Its a huge eerie place and a ruin by description but is where you can also sketch out by mind the huge halls and gardens that once graced the place. It's a great contrast to the preserved nature of Antigua and highly recommended.

It is in Antigua that I spend new years eve which, as normal, is a bit of an anti climax. We opt against the expensive cover charges of the bars and join the locals in the main square. Band stands erected in the day had promised much but delivered little. No music was played; rumour had it that the police wanted to quash the potential riotous scenes that had marred previous years; many from Guatemala City visit Antigua for a good party. After sporadic fireworks at approximately midnight (there was no countdown) we continue with a few drinks back at the hostel. Perhaps the biggest celebration of the night was at 6pm to celebrate the British new year!

We take the risk on new years day to travel to Lago Atitlan on the local buses (known as 'chicken buses' as locals frequently use the buses to transport their chickens!) It is not until we are warned days later that we realise the dangers of the local buses. As highlighted in the BBC report at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12109840, Guatemalan police estimate that bus drivers paid out more than $1.5m (£970,000) in extortion money over the period to organised crime groups, who demand a "circulation tax" for those driving through their areas. Local human rights groups say that between January and November 2010, 119 bus drivers and 51 other transport workers were murdered. Lastly, Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world, with many of the killings blamed on gangs linked to Mexico's violent drug cartels. Of those murders, only around 5% are prosecuted! The police, understaffed and under resourced, struggle in the face of rising crime (in the last decade annual murder rates went from 2904 to 6498), unaided by the fact that over the same period they've had 14 directors, one of whom having been accused of stealing US$300,000 seized in a cocaine raid!

However, our journey goes without incident. Its not a particularly long distance but the infrequent services requires us to change buses 4 times at some fairly dubious places but we finally arrive late in the day and stay one night at San Pedro La Laguna. Perhaps owing to the dregs left from new years even celebrations, the small town feels like a party place, which is not what we want after such a long journey and our own celebrations the previous night. So, the next day, we catch a 'tuk-tuk' (basically a three wheeled covered motorbike) to San Marcos La Laguna, which we find to a much more relaxing place. Its known for its meditation and spiritual offerings. Its a great place to get away from it all and also offers some very relaxing accommodation set amongst a maze of narrow dirt walkways often with great views across Lago Atitlan. Relax is what I do for a few days then head onwards to Semuc Champey, famed for its pools and caves. This requires a stop off at Coban - as with San Marcos, which Id left earlier in the day, there is no running water here either!

A smelly Smedley continues his journey the next morning in a shuttle though the off road conditions towards Semuc Champey. The scenery along the way is impressive and improves the closer we get to our destination. Semuc Champey is set amongst semi tropical rainforest amongst rolling hills at the foot of which are turquoise waters. It creates for a beautiful environment. En route we stop off for a look through the Lanquin caves which are ok, not life changing but at least provides an introduction to the more arduous caves which await us in Semcu Champey.

'Arduous' is not the word to describe the Semuc Champey caves, more like crazy or downright dangerous. We are furnished with our lights at the entrance to the caves (a candle!) and are then ushered into the shallow waters with bats flying overhead. The shallow waters quickly deepen to the extent that we are swimming; swimming in not the normal sense, almost like I was on the verge of drowning so as not to submerge my candle whilst avoiding the spiky rocks which lurk beneath the surface. We arrive at a ladder which we scale to be confronted with a small waterfall. Some scale another ladder but I opt to scale the waterfall with the aid of a rope and unlit candle in teeth. Later we arrive at a dead end where our guide encourages us to scale the side rocks and jump into a narrow dark pool. The memory of the Argentinian snapping two vertebrae during the Lost City trek in Colombia comes to mind but eventually join in after most go for the jump (a fellow caver advises I was close to hitting my head as I had jumped too far; I even recall hitting the bottom with my feet). On our way back we take a slightly different route which includes dropping blindly though a narrow crevice into a another pool below. I don't know if these descriptions do the caves any justice; it was quite surreal and a surprise that the public would be allowed to be 'entertained' safely this way. It was like being on the Speilberg set of the Goonies! All in all a great experience which I doubt I'll have the chance to experience again.

Illness hits me the afternoon after the caves - acute diarrhea and violent vomiting - which apparently is common in Semuc Champey. I point the finger at the cave water (it's difficult to avoid it entering your mouth). I drag my body around the Semuc Champey pools the next day, I unfortunately don't have the strength to swim in them but they are incredibly beautiful. They are made up of a series of cascading turquoise pools overlooking by forest; a scene which water parks can only dream of.

The hostel then takes me to join a shuttle destined for Flores island in the north, picking up local hitchhikers along the way. This is refreshing as en route to Semuc Champey the tourist shuttle hadn't taken any despite there being plenty of available seats. You couldn't help but feel the disenchantment of the Maya locals at the impact of tourism on their doorstep. By shear luck one of the passengers on the Flores shuttle is the owner of Hostel Los Amigos - by far the best budget accommodation on Flores - and who reserves us beds which nearly always fill up every night. It is from this hostel that I head out on a tour of the Tikal Maya ruins, setting off at the hour of 4.30am!

It is worth the early rise to avoid the tourist buses and arrive when animal activity is at its highest. We see many spider monkeys and anteaters and hear some very loud howler monkeys. Our guide also brings out a large tarantula - I'm one of the many that declines a hold! The ruins are typified by towering pyramids / temples which poke out above the jungles green canopy creating a scene not so different as to when they were built many hundreds of years ago. Our early morning arrival is perfect as the suns rays shines through the jungle and over the sides of temples.

The Great Plaza of the Tikal site was beginning to assume its present shape and extent 2000 years ago. Its layout is in a remarkably good condition today flanked by the two huge Temples I and II, which were built at the height of Tikals powers which was once believed to have been inhabited by some 100,000 people. Tikals greatness waned around 900, part of the mysterious general collapse of lowland Maya civilization. It is widely believed that droughts were the main factor behind the demise, or possibly disease. Unfortunately - and unlike the Copan Ruins - the temples do not hide any treasures within them; rubble was used to help stablise the huge structures which is one of the reasons they still stand today. Despite this, it is an incredibly huge achievement of a race of people to have constructed such huge structures with only brute force as manpower. The following day, I hop on a bus destined for Belize City. Read my next blog for more.

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